Exactly one year ago today...I started writin' on this blog

Exactly one year ago today...I started writin' on this blog.

Happy ONE YEAR Blogiversary to me.
Are you singin'?
Should I blow out some candles?
Do I need to make a wish?

One year ago...I had no idea what I was gettin' myself into.

I didn't know that I would make friends with people around the world.

I didn't know that I would grow tremendously as a teacher.

I didn't know that I would learn so much.

I didn't know that my brain would be non-stop thinkin'.

I didn't know people would actually read what I wrote.

I didn't know that I was funny...okay well maybe that's an 

exaggeration...I've always known I was funny.

Yes, I'm braggin'...

I'm goin' to link up with Angela from The Teacher's Desk 6 for
Throwback Thursday, Nick from
Sweet Rhyme-Pure Reason for Back to the Archive and
The Teaching Tribune for Throwback Thursday.

 

Anyways...I'm goin' to throw it back to my very first post...

You can read it here.

Readin' that first post was bittersweet for me...
as I typed that, I was sittin' in my Nitty's livin' room
and now as I type this...I am sittin' in my parents livin'
room after returnin' from her memorial dinner.
It was beautiful...pictures to come on Saturday.
Oh...how much my life has changed in one year.
At the end of the day...I'm truly blessed and I'm thankful.
150 posts later(Yes...it's 150 today too!)
Again....150 posts later,
I know Nitty would be proud of me.
I'm proud of me.

Y'all know how much I love linky parties.
That's my jam.
So...I thought it only appropriate that I do
some reflectin' and think about some
tips and tricks that I wish I I would've known
on my first day of bloggin'.
I'm linkin' up with Teaching Trio
for Technology Thursday since bloggin' is technology.

I'd like to say THANK YOU to
Jessica at Ideas by Jivey for her Techy Tips and
Megan from I Teach. What's Your Superpower? for her
Blog, Baby, Blog series.
These posts have been the best help with Technology
and hopefully, their suggestions will have the same impact on you.
If you don't follow them...you should.

I'm nowhere as tech savvy as these two ladies, but I do have
a couple of tips that might be worth your while.

Even if it takes you a week...reply.
There's a reason you're bloggin'...you've got somethin' to say.
Am I right?
You want to be heard.
You want someone to read what you have written.
If you don't reply...you aren't makin' connections and
basically...you are tellin' the person that took their precious
time to read your blog and comment...
that they aren't important enough for you to take your time
to read what they have written and reply.
That's rude.
Don't be rude.
Be courteous.
Reply.
Most bloggers like to reply via email.
If you reply to someone's comment on your own blog...
not through email, but on your actual blog,
there's a chance people are not goin' to come back to your
blog to see your comment.
That's just the way it goes.
Which leads into the next tip...

This is a tricky one.
Some of you probably have no idea that you are even
considered a no-reply blogger and that's okay, but
now's the time to fix that.
Read here and here.
It will make more sense.

Want to know the fastest way to lose followers?
Only postin' about items you have in your store.
It's true.
If I follow a blog that ONLY writes about their products
on TpT, TN, or Educents....BOOM....I'm clickin'
UNFOLLOW.
Sorry...I'm not sorry.

This is the one that just about sends me over the edge.
I read a lot of blogs and I like to reply to what I'm readin'.
See above.
It takes me twice as long to go through blogs when I'm
sittin' fightin' with my keyboard over whether or not
I've typed the capthca phrase, word verification, no robot thing...
whatever it is...appropriately.
Sometimes it's itty-bitty numbers that I can barely see
and other times it's make-believe words with squiggly letters.
I gave up tryin' to reply on my phone or ipad.
Please for my sanity, fix this.
This will help you here.
I bet by followin' the instructions you will
be helpin' to lower many peoples' blood pressure.
Consider it a Random Act of Kindness.

Everyone that I have ever come into contact with in the bloggy world
is super helpful.  Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't know somethin'.
Need help?  I'm here for you, buddy.
Here's my email: butterflialisun@gmail.com
I don't know everything and I won't ever pretend to, BUT...
I can guarantee if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer,
I will do everything in my power to find someone who does.
I have some super smart bloggy friends.

I hope that some of these Tips & Tricks are helpful to you.
I'm seriously glad I was able to reflect...one year later.
With that bein' said...
I'm goin' to also link up with my sweet friend
Jennifer from Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for
Positive Thinking Thursday.

Source

Happy Thursday, friends!
Make sure if you eat a piece of cake to celebrate
my blogiversary...that you eat a bite or two for me too!

Let's try this again...

Welcome to my Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin' Blog:

This is the third summer in a row that I have attempted to get this blog goin'.  Each year I write a few posts and then I get caught up in the beginning of the school year and accomplishin' everything that needs to get done, while completely forgettin' about givin' attention to the blog.  Pathetic, I know.  I've made a pact with myself that I will no longer continue to let that happen.  I'm ready to commit.  I might as well put a ring on it!    

This summer is a little bit different for me.  I am spendin' several weeks with my 92 year old grandmother, Nitty, at her home in Georgia.  Both of us are night owls, so our days have consisted of stayin' up late and sleepin' late.  We've been busy, busy, busy though runnin' errands and gettin' her house opened back up (she was with my parents in California for the past 7 1/2 months).  I've chased around more dust bunnies than I care to count.   This time with her is so very valuable and I'm blessed to be able to spend it with her.  As I type, she is workin' on a crossword puzzle; we often take breaks to stare and giggle at one another because we are so giddy to be together.  She also has me workin' on a project for her.  She LOVES to cook & bake.  Since she travels back and forth from Georgia to California, it is tough to keep up with all of her recipes that she has collected over the years.   She has folders with papers hangin' out (some handwritten by herself and others, some typed, some torn out of magazines, some with food stains, etc.)  This about sends my Type A self over the edge.  I've been typin' and rewritin' all of her favorite recipes for her to take with her on her journeys.  She is tickled and loves watchin' the papers shoot out of the printer.  

My next order of business is to get a design for my blog and learn all the tricks that go along with bloggin'.   I'm a tad bit overwhelmed at the moment, but I believe in time I'll be able to figure it all out with a little bit of researchin' and a whole lot of patience.  Lucky for me, I'm fortunate enough to have a major support from Miss Nelson over at Run! Miss Nelson's Got the Camera! There is no question big or small that she doesn't mind me asking.  Trust me...I've got a million of them.  

I'm really enjoyin' keepin' up with all of my favorite blogs on Bloglovin'.   As of July 1st, Google Reader is no longer available, so if you like to be in the "know" and read all of your favorite blogs, you should definitely check out Bloglovin' and add me, of course(button is in the top right hand side of my blog; it's the "b" with the "heart" connected).  Teaching is a Gift and A Teacher without a Class are havin' a Back to School with Bloglovin' Blog Hop for a chance to win a laminator.  Follow them on Bloglovin', make a post about the Blog Hop, post the button, and link up for your entry.  You can check out their "official" rules on their blogs. 

I'll leave you with the most precious thing I have learned while visitin' my Nitty this time.  It's a little poem of sorts that was ripped out of a newspaper by my grandfather, Papa, when he was in the hospital in 1964.  My grandmother kept it in her wallet for many years before she took it out and put tape all around it.  It currently hangs on the mirror of the only piece of furniture that she has of her mother's.  My Papa has been gone for almost 15 years.  How very sweet is this picture? 

And during the daylight hours...looking out my Nitty's window, this is what I see.  

I call it the "love" tree.  I think it represents the special love that my Nitty & Papa had for one another.  Priceless!